SCOTT, DAVID AND ZELMA LEONA (BARNEBEY)

by Zelma Barnebey Scott

Entry F373 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

David and Zelma Scott. 25th Anniversary, August 10,1966.

Zelma is the eldest daughter of Charlie and
Florence Barnebey born on July 26, 1908, at
their home in Mullen. She started to school
at the age of six in the class of "beginners"
and moved into the second grade the follow-
ing year. She continued through the 6th grade
in Mullen, then moved with the family to
Lakeside, Nebraska, where she completed
the 10th grade, which was as far as the school
there went at that time.

Zelma remembers learning to crochet when
she was about 8 years old. Her Aunt Beulah
Garrett loaned her a crochet hook, and she
sat on a covered brick that was used for a
doorstop, making chain stitch by the yards
out of store twine. This continued until her
Aunt was satisfied that her stitches were even
enough to learn other stitches. It was also
about that time that she learned to sew -
first making doll clothes with needle and
thread, and then being allowed to use the
sewing machine while she stayed out in the
country with her Aunt Veda (Garrett) Trennt
one time when she was about 10 or 11 years
old. Handiwork has been a favorite pastime
all her life.

After finishing the 1Oth grade in Lakeside,
Zelma returned to Mullen and stayed at
Grandpa (James) Garrett's while attending
the 11th grade. Her last year of high school
was spent in Chadron, Nebraska, where she
took Normal Training. These grades applied
on her teaching certificate so she did not have
to take State exams. As soon as school was out
she worked as a bank clerk for her father,
Charlie Barnebey, at Lakeside. After a year
she taught in a country school for three
months until she became ill and had to quit.
Following her teaching she worked as a postal
clerk at Lakeside until the postmaster re-
tired, when she obtained that position over
other applicants also taking the merit exam
to qualify for the job.

Zelma walked a mile to the schoolhouse
where she taught and had to build a fire when
she arrived. Fire had to be started with cow
chips covered with kerosene. Once the fire
was going good, there was coal to keep it
burning during the day.

Zelma started teaching Sunday School
when she was thirteen years old, helping her
mother, Florence Barnebey, with the begin-
ners class and later taking over as a teacher.
Over the years she continued to teach various
classes and age groups.

While living in Lakeside, Zelma attended
the Methodist Church Annual Conference
and through a mutual friend was introduced
to David Scott, the Methodist minister at
Paxton, Nebraska. They were married at the
home of the bride on August 10, 1941. The
Reverend Scott's parishners did not know he
was getting married until the day of the
wedding. At Sunday School that morning it
was announced that the reason he was not
there for church was because he had gone to
Lakeside to get married. Zelma's brother
Walter, who was best man for the wedding,
arrived to discover that he had left his good
pair of pants at home, but went ahead with
whatever pants he had worn for the trip.

At the time David and Zelma met he was
a widower with two daughters, Annabelle and
Martha (married Wayne Osborne). A red-
haired daughter, Nina Louise was born on
1943, at the hospital in Suther-
land, Nebraska. During the following years
they moved around the state where David
served churches in Hay Springs, Lewellen,
Loup City, Merna (which included churches
in Anselmo and Berwyn), Bayard, and follow-
ing his retirement, in Callaway, before mov-
ing to Mullen in 1958.

Zelma has been a long-time member of the
Methodist Church and has held many of the
various offices in the church and the Method-
ist Women's Society. She has also been a
member of the Order of the Eastern Star,
Hospital Auxiliary, and Historical Society,
also a weekly volunteer for the Mullen Rest
Home activities program.

In 1962 she becan work as a part-time
secretary in the County Extension Office for
Agent Ervin Schleicher. She did some part-
time office work at Mathews Chevrolet while
Susie Bowers had a broked arm and was
unable to work. She worked one summer in
her sister Ruth's job as Welfare director while
Ruth went to school. During this time she also
began doing some part-time work in the office
of Soil and Water Conservation District for
Sylvester Vanderbeek. She continued to do
office work at the courthouse until she retired
in 1973.

David continued to be active in the Meth-
odist Church in Mullen until his death on
Easter Sunday morning in 1967. He was able
to continue his favorite area of ministry,
working with the High School Youth Fellow-
ship. He helped them put on Bible plays to
raise enough money to purchase the cande-
labra that presently grace the sanctuary.